


Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc

by jinbeisan



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Coupons, M/M, Popcorn, Young Love, also thanks to my shitty philosophy professor for the title, both at babies and are not sure how to come to terms with their feelings, chrysantthemums, date, funky sweaters, kuroo isnt in it a lot but hes my darling child so i have to include him, lev cooks, mongolian bbq, movies - Freeform, thank u jordan for helping me, this took 5 months to write please be kind, voila! and things happen, yaku likes food
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-09
Updated: 2016-08-09
Packaged: 2018-08-07 16:09:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7721254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jinbeisan/pseuds/jinbeisan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You're tired," Kuroo said with a grin.<br/>"I'm not."<br/>"Are to. It's proof you need a break. Here, have some coupons." Kuroo reached into his bag and produced a little pamphlet. He handed it to Yaku.<br/>"You're not my doctor," Yaku said with a pout.<br/>"But I am your captain. And it's my duty to make sure my teammates are well." Kuroo put his hand over his heart and put on a sincere face:<br/>"I'm always this kind."<br/>"Ha!" Yaku laughed. "Those looks are uncalled for."<br/>"How mean!"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc

**Author's Note:**

> this is a companion piece to my previous YakuLev work, [What is mine, is yours](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5591926).  
> and also a v late bday 4 Madz :3
> 
> 11/29/16 i have finally had a chance to edit this, so it is hopefully better than it was before.  
> still not completely as smooth as i would like it to be, but oh well  
> it's finals week so.....

stomp 

         stomp 

                        stomp 

                                      skid swish 

~~~~~ 

The slap of rubber on worn down wooden floors. Heavy, but quick footsteps echoed in the hall. Definitive empty beats between them gestured long, long legs. The desired target would be near in the vicinity. Faint, yet persistent morning sun streamed through the frost covered windows, echoing the prosperity of a new school day. One filled with either crying, sweating, swearing, or a combination of them all. Lev finally got to his destination.  

Classroom 3-5.  

Chatter could be heard inside, jovial discussions about spring break and other happenings beyond graduation. Peeking through the window, he saw his target, all 165cm of him.   

Yaku Morisuke was talking to Kuroo in a seemingly animated fashion. The shorter man had a smile on his face. Faint smile lines gently dented the squish of his cheeks. Bright honey eyes illuminated by the spring sunshine turned into amber. Lev watched Yaku from the hall window. Crouching by more than a foot, so as not to be seen by either member of the party. Letting only his green eyes and silver hair be visible to the people in the room.   
 

Ever since that fateful cloudy, rainy, and downright melancholy day at Kuroo's house, Lev had taken it upon himself to cheer up the libero. Small steps, one by one, he wanted to make Yaku smile. But that was proving to be harder than he hoped to be. Small little smiles, not ones out of pity or devotedness, but from the heart.  

 

A smile that could melt the northernmost mountains in the bleak plains of Siberia.  

 

Lev observed the small movements of the older boy. His chest moving ever so slightly with each inhale and exhale, the scrunching of his nose at what appeared to be a joke from Kuroo. Covering his face to conceal a rose blush sparkling on his cheeks. Leaning forward on to the desk, his tie sliding off and into his lap. The tucking of his sideburns in back of his ear. All the tiny mechanical movements that no one would take a second glance at. Lev heard a shuffling of feet in his proximity. Apparently he had been staring for quite a while.   
 

"What's a first year doing here?" A feminine voice echoed in the back. Lev turned around and was surrounded by a bunch of third year girls. Each face was adorned with a mix of amusement and confusion. Lev straightened his sweater vest and shirt, and rose to his full height.  

"Do you need anything?" One of the girls was unperturbed by his height and stepped a bit closer. She popped a bubble gum balloon.  

"I'm here to talk to Yaku-san." 

"Oh, Morisuke-kun," she turned into the classroom, "let me call him for you." Lev waited patiently outside, gazing into the window, watching Yaku turn at the call of his name, and make his way out. He clasped his hands in front and widdled his fingers, to pass the few second of time. Yaku appeared at the doorway. 

"Yaku-sa--" 

"Lev," Yaku gave him an exasperated look, " you'll be late for homeroom. Go back to your class." 

"But Yaku-san, I have something to tell you." 

"You can," Yaku saw his homeroom teacher turn the curve and make his way to his classroom,"tell me later." Yaku clapped Lev's arm and walked back into his classroom. Lev pouted and walked his way quickly downstairs, narrowly missing his own teacher walking into the classroom. 

"What was that about?" Kuroo leaned back on his seat. 

"Nothing," Yaku answered.   
 

~~~ later that day ~~~ 

 

"...so then, I told Kenma, 'you need to stop staring at a screen all day', and he "sassily" retorted, 'I need to get used to looking at a screen.' " 

"Why?" 

"Because that's gonna be my job." 

"Kenma, you're going to lose your sight by the age of twenty." 

"No, I wo.." 

"...and smack into a light post he went." Kuroo put his hands up like the Neil deGrasse meme. 

"Didn't you try to warn him?" Yaku rifled through his pant pockets, looking for bits of change to buy lunch. 

"No," Kuroo ran his fingers through his bedhead. Yaku thought if he shook it, he might find enough money in Kuroo's hair to last him a week. "I've told him before to limit his screentime, but I can only say it so many times before it just goes through his head." 

"Hmm, that's true." Yaku found 200 yen in his pockets. 

"Then I asked him what his  _job_  was and..." 

"Yaku-san!" 

stomp 

Kuroo looked back. "Hey, isn't that Lev?" 

"Yaku-saaaaannnn!!" 

The shorter man let out a vex sigh. "Just ignore him." The two continued their way to the lunch line.  

stomp, stomp 

"Yaku Morisuke!" 

skid, slap 

"MORISUKE-KUUN!!" 

Yaku stopped midway to the lunch line. He slowly turned around to face the giant ambling his way towards him. Hair was facing every direction on the middle blocker's head. A giant, eager grin was on his face.   
"Yay, I finally found you!" Lev had a gleeful smile on his face. 

Yaku held his hands up mimicking arrest. "Yay, you caught me".  _I wonder what he would want this time._  

"Yaku-san, I remember that you said you haven't watched the new volleyball movie yet. The one we talked about at Kuroo-san's house." Lev inched a bit forward. 

"And..." Yaku's body movement suggested he wanted to join Kuroo at the lunch line. 

"So," Lev widdled his thumbs,"I was wondering if you would like to go see it this weekend."  

"Hmm, I'm not sure. I've been really busy lately with applications and exams. " 

"Oh." Lev visibly shrunked in front of him. "Well, okay." And with that he sprinted off. 

Kuroo's growling stomach broke the silence.  

Kuroo patted his belly. "Oops. That’s my cue. But, what was that about?" The third years continued their way to the lunch line. By now all that would be left would be the soulless sandwiches labeled as 'yakisoba-pan', but in reality they were the melancholy-stuffed baguettes that nobody wanted. 

"He asked me if I wanted to go to the movies this weekend."  

Kuroo paid for his sweet curry. "Ohoho? And what's your take on the offer." 

"Um, I’m just not sure. I've been really busy with college applications and now that it's time for the Spring High Playoffs." Yaku chose his lunch, a tuna sandwich, and paid.  

"It'll help get those dark circles off your eyes". The duo maneuvered their way to an empty table and sat down. "Everyone needs rest, even during important times." Kuroo ate his curry eagerly. 

"Yeah, but I want to go to the best school possible, and if I slack off, then it won't become reality. I want it to become reality." 

Kuroo scooped the last bits of rice from his plate and swallowed them with a satisfied hum. "You don't get muscles by just working out, ya'know? You get them by gradually practicing and  _resting._  That's when you build the buff. You eat well, and then you see the change. But if you strain yourself, you'll end up with injuries, and that will set you back even more." 

"I think that philosophy class is getting to your head." 

"I think that college applications are getting to  _your head_." 

They stared hard at each other for a good minute. Ignoring the rumble of their tummies. 

"Well, maybe think about it at least. I'm in the same boat as you, but Kenma needs an opponent for Mario Kart, so that's my distraction." Kuroo walked to dispose his empty plates and caught up to Yaku making his way to their classroom. 

"And it's a very good distraction. Almost too much." They stopped in front of their classroom door. Kuroo slid open the door and they walked in. Yaku sat down and stretched his back against his chair like a cat. He yawned and rested his head on his crossed arms.  

"You're tired," Kuroo said with a grin. 

"I'm not." 

"Are to. It's proof you need a break. Here, have some coupons." Kuroo reached into his bag and produced a little pamphlet. He handed it to Yaku. 

"You're not my doctor," Yaku said with a pout. 

"But _I am_  your captain. And it's my duty to make sure my teammates are well." Kuroo put his hand over his heart and put on a sincere face: 

"I'm always this kind." 

"Ha!" Yaku laughed. "Those looks are uncalled for." 

" _How mean!_ " 

~~~ much later that day ~~~ 

The Nekoma Boys Volleyball Team was nearing the end of a long, hard practice. Everyone was exhausted from the strenuous practice. It had been like this for the past few months since the summer training camp. The resulting scores against their matches fueled the team's desire to improve and make it to nationals once more. Everyone was putting in effort tenfold, and as unison, they were connecting even more than before. Even Kenma got into the spirit and tossed more to Lev.  

"Kenmaaaaaa!! A few more please? Just like 5 more and then you can take a break." 

"You said that ten spikes ago. I'm tired." Kenma complained. Lev dragged his feet to him and slouched down to match the other's height. His peers told him to practice his spikes, but with an uncooperative teammate, things got a bit more complicated than expected.  

"Please, Kenma-san." 

"No." 

"Pretty please." 

"No." 

"Pretty please with the latest Mortal Kombat game, what was it? Oh! The 'X' edition that came out last year right? Yeah, pretty please with the new edition and extra long battery life for your DS." Lev added a gleeful smile hoping to complete the offer. 

Kenma looked disinterested.  

"I'm tired." Kenma uttered and walked away with that, leaving a confused looking Lev in the middle of the court. 

Practice continued around him, and then he remembered that Nekoma had  _two_  setters on the team. Lev located his target and bounded across the court. 

"Yaku-san, will you set for me please?" 

"What?" Yaku wiped the sweat from his brow. "Go ask Kenma." 

"He said he doesn't want to, that he's tired." _I can't imagine why_ , Yaku thought. 

"Okay, go stand over there, and I'll toss."  

Lev responded by levitating from excitement. He went to the opposite end of the court. Yaku got the ball cart and began tossing.  _I need to practice setting too, since a lot of the liberos on the national level set as well._  

_~_  

Practice ended shortly thereafter. The team gathered up, spoke about what would be practiced in the upcoming weeks, and bowed out.  

Yaku was putting away his stuff when Lev walked up to him and stood there. Just stood there, gently staring at the smaller boy. Yaku didn't look at him, he just maintained his business and began to leave the changing room. Lev followed him out, and up to the school gates a few paces behind.  

Finally, as Yaku was stepping over the rolling guide, he turned around. 

"I have a stalker." Yaku mimicked talking on the phone with his hands.  

"Yes, hello? I have a stalker, mhmm. He's over six feet, has greyish hair and green eyes." Lev stared at him with mouth agape. 

"Oh yeah, he is built like a noodle and slouches slightly. He isn't hard to miss. I know where he lives. His address is 145 sou-." 

"Nooo!!" Lev grabbed Yaku's handphone and played with his fingers, pinching the tips and wiggling them around. "I'm not a stalker, I just wanted to tell you something." 

"Then do it in a less creepy way, the lady across the street is staring at us." Lev turned around to face the woman. She quickly looked away and continued walking down the street. Yaku pulled his hands out of Lev's and stuffed them in his pockets. Hoping to lessen the pink burn running through his face and neck.   

"Ok, so remember what asked you earlier today? Oh yeah! I asked you twice!" Lev let go of the other boy's fingers. 

"Oh, about the movie?" Yaku shifted his feet. 

"Yeah, I dunno, I'm kinda busy..." 

"That's the reason why I'm asking you. I see that you're tired and I wanna help you..." The last few words came out as a whisper.  

"Just don't be creepy about it," Yaku snickered.   

"So, will you go?" 

"Aeugh, ummm..." 

"The bags under your eyes are really dark. They almost match your soul, Yaku-san." 

[A screeching noise left Yaku's vocal cords, almost akin to a cat being pushed into a dumpster. ](https://vine.co/v/hbt0O7HYA1g%20)

_'Since when did you get so cheeky?'_ Yaku sighed. Lev morphed his chin into his neck and grinned. 

“Okay,” Yaku straightened up and tried to look optimistic, “I’ll go to the movies.” 

Lev jumped and scrambled in his bag for a paper and pencil. 

"Here," he hastily scribbled something on the paper and handed it to Yaku,"it's my number. Call me with your address so I can pick you up tomorrow! I'll text you the details later!" And with that Lev sprinted off in the foreseeable direction of his house. Yaku stuffed the memo in his pocket and reminded himself to call Lev when he got home.  

~the next day~ 

Sideways part. Up. Down. A twist in the front to control the fringe. Gel. Slick it up. Run your hands through it and start all over again. 

Yaku looked at the mess in front of him in the mirror. Nothing more ordinary than his usual sand colored fluff. But he wanted to do something different today. 

 He  _wanted._  Oh how those words slid like soap through his lips. Leaving a bitter taste in its trail. 

Why did he want to look different today? Why did he want to, how you say,  _impress_ his audience? Yaku didn’t know why, but the task of figuring it out was making him sweat. Beads of perspiration were making his bangs stick to his forehead.  

11:48 am, the clock read. Lev would be coming around soon to pick him up and go to the movies.  

_Dammit,_ he cursed. Yaku left the bathroom and walked into his bedroom. Clothes were thrown around every which way. Tees, undies, pajamas, jeans, and even his treasured  _Akira_ leather jacket lay in every part of his room. He looked again at his chosen ensemble in the mirror.  

Green on white stripes brought a bit of color to the black thermal underneath the t-shirt. His dark jeans (rolled up at the hem for obvious reasons) blended in with his shoes.  

_I look like a child,_ he thought. Yaku huffed and sat down in his bean bag. He crossed his arms and brought his legs up, as to let the bag eat him, partially.  

"I'm fine," Yaku spoke to himself, "I don’t need to worry. Why am I doing this."  He got up and paced around his room. 

"I could be studying right now. No, I could be sleeping. Yeah, that's better.  

I could be sleeping and studying. I could be finishing the series. I could catch up on the manga or episodes I've missed. No, I should so something produ-" 

"YAKU-SAN!" 

Yaku jumped in surprise. He walked to his window and looked down to see Lev standing in his front yard, grinning stupidly. 

 

Yaku took a deep breath and mentally prepared himself, more like calmed his hectic nerves. 

"Morisuke! I think your friend is here!" His mother called from the living room. Yaku took one last look at himself in the mirror before he made his way to the door. 

His mother kisses his cheek and said, "have fun, dear. Go have fun." With a pat on his back, Yaku passed the threshold and made his way outside to meet Lev. 

Yaku got a better look at what Lev was wearing.  

_What was he wearing?_  

His long legs looked even longer with light washed jeans rolled up (maybe intentionally??), showing off his ankles. He wore a black bomber jacket with embroidery on the front and back. The shiny satin fabric was enhanced with the floral design. Chrysanthemums bloomed in rich golden threads, covering most of the back. The intertwining golden hues with softer greens for the stems shone in the weak sunlight. Lev stretched his arms above his head, making the front lapels separate.   

Lev looked  _nice. Like, really nice._ Did he choose this outfit himself, or did his sister do it, either wy he looked like a model straight out of Vogue. 

Yaku thought Lev was dressed quite well today, before he saw what was underneath. He was expecting a neutral colored shirt under the jacket, something to match the cool tones of his outfit. But no. Underneath the stylish jacket was something the opposite of stylish.  

Fine fluffy hairs stood out of the charcoal gray and black fabric. Probably latching on to everything it came in contact with. The sweater seemed to be made out of wool, thin enough to be layered with. The color matched the sky, but the print embroidered on it would make Keith Haring jealous. Squiggly lines and random geometric shapes reminiscent of 90's aesthetic adorned the front, and probably, Yaku thought, the whole thing. Lines of different colors from red to green to electric yellow begged to leap off the sweater and towards Yaku, to enrapture him in an abyss of bad fashion choices.  

"Yaku-san, what are you staring at?" Lev's voice broke the spell. 

"Um," Yaku looked away and coughed into his fist, "you look nice today." 

Lev's face lit up and he struck a pose. "Thank you! I tried my best!" 

Yaku smiled. He was screaming internally. 

"Let's go," Lev opened the gate and led him and Yaku to the street," so we're gonna take the train to the movies. I know that there is a theatre close to here, but the one I found is better, so we'll go there." 

"Ok," Yaku said, he followed Lev down the street and into the train station. The two made their way up the stairs to the elevated platform. As they swiped their passes, Lev stopped and looked at the map. 

"Which stop are we gonna take?" Yaku asked.  

"Omm, we need to take the Marunouchi line to Shinjuku station and then we just walk a block and we will be there." Lev scrunched his eyebrows together, as if he didn't know what he was looking at on the map. Yaku didn't mind, he had been riding the trains in Tokyo for a long time, so Lev had him to guide them just in case.  

The two followed the signs leading to the designated platform, luckily it was the weekend and there was only a sprinkle of people waiting, let alone in the whole station.  

Lev found a bench and sat down, patting at a spot next to him, gesturing to Yaku to follow suit.   

The two sat. And sat. And sat.  

Neither said anything for two minutes, but in "I am a socially awkward teenager and I have no idea what to do in this type of situiation" time, it was more of about an eternity. Lev played with the sleeve of his jacket, tracing the embroidery with his fingers, while Yaku found a sudden interest with his shoes. He found out that they were not only black and white, but had subtle darker black lines in them, kind of like a Panther's spotted coat. 

Neither attempted but both were desperate for conversation. The stagnation between them was not nice. 

Yaku's sneeze broke the silence. He sniffled and wiped his nose on the inside of his collar. Eww, that was going to feel sticky later. He grimaced at the thought but felt Lev's eyes on him. 

"Are you cold, Yaku-san?" Lev scooted closer to him and leaned forward, attempting to get a closer look at his face. 

"Yeah, I'm fine. There was something tickling my nose." Yes there was something there, but the cold of the day was biting into his skin and made his hairs stand up. But he didn't want to shiver or wrap his arms around himself, he didin't want Lev to pity him. 

He didn't want Lev to look down on him. 

"Ooh, I have candy!" Lev had been sticking his hands in every pocket he had on his ensemble, and pulled out Swedish fish candies from a side pocket on the jacket. A very squished Swedish fish.   

Very squished indeed.  

"Here, Yaku-san. Have some candy, they’re red like our uniform!” Lev placed a fish in Yaku’s hand. It was red indeed, red and kind of flat, and the wrapper was crumpled, with part of the backing attempting to peel off. Yaku didn't mind, he unwrapped the rest and ate the candy. He took small bites, letting it dissolve into his mouth, and preventing from it sticking to his teeth. It was sweet. The piquant taste of the licorice blended into his tongue, making his cheeks hollow out because of the tartness.  

"I can't believe I found these, I thought I ate them all!" Lev happily chewed at his fish, smiling at Yaku. 

"Lev," Yaku repositioned himself on the bench, "how long have these fish been inside your pockets?" Yaku should have asked that before he ate it. 

"Umm, I think since, oh when was the last time I wore this jacket. Oh yeah, when I went with my sister to Shibuya to go shopping. She bought it for me there and then we went to a candy store. Yeah." 

"That was about three weeks ago, I...yeah." 

" _Oh_ ," was all that Yaku thought. No big problem. Yeah. 

"Oh the train is here! Let's go!" Lev took Yaku's hand and pulled him into the awaiting car. The two found seats in the relatively empty car. 

More awkward silence, but this time, both of the boys had mellowness in them. The candy seemed to do the trick to make the mood a bit brighter and less tense. Yaku sniffled.  

He wiped his nose on the inside collar of his shirt, trying to be as least conspicuous as possible. He knew just how Lev reacted whenever a team member was sick, endlessly chasing them until they chugged down a few gallons of hot ginger tea with lemon and honey. It was a nice action, but Lev added raw ginger after putting lukewarm water in the cup, so it felt as If you were drinking fire instead of a sweet, slightly tangy beverage. He had already sneezed today, so Lev's ginger tea radar was already on edge. 

"Yaku-san, are you sick?" Lev turned to face him. Concern all over his face and th vaguest hint of a ginger tea attack. 

"No," Yaku positioned himself so that he wasn’t facing Lev anymore, "I'm not sick, something just got in my nose." He faked being interested in the sleeves of his shirt. 

"Oh, ok. But I thought I heard you sneeze." 

Yaku's cheeks started to blush, a tinge of pink. "Things get into people's noses, its normal to sniff at that." 

"Oh, ok." Lev repositioned himself to face the other set of seats on the car. 

The two rekindled their awkward silence for the few minutes they were on the train. The announcer announced that the next stop was Shinjuku station was next. Lev and Yaku got off. 

Lev walked ahead of Yaku, leading him through the crowds and shops, pausing every so often to make sure he didn't lose Yaku. He looked over and saw Yaku getting pushed around by people, so Lev went ahead and reached out for Yaku's hand, pulling him closer to himself and guiding the pair through the crowds.  

Yaku was red. He was 100% sure that Lev could feel the heat radiating off of him, the blood rising into his cheeks, more than his cheeks. He didn't want Lev to look at him at this moment, he didn't want to be put on the spot for how embarrassed he was. 

But luckily for him, the theatre was around the corner and the refreshing air conditioning of the lobby was enough to cool him down. 

The two went to the booth to buy their tickets, granted there was no line. As they made their way inside Lev stopped. 

"Yaku-san, I need to get something. Can you go to the room and save me a seat?" 

Yaku looked at him skeptically. "Uhh ok. Just don’t be long since the movie is starting soon."  

And with that Lev dashed into the crowd of people.  

Yaku found the room and made his way in. The room was mostly empty, spared for a few people who looked around the same age as them and some older folks probably here to escape the brisk wind. The lights were dim and had a golden hue, that made It somewhat difficult to navigate the tight rows without tripping and hitting your hips with the cup holders/armrests. Yaku found some seats in the middle, set in the back of the room. He was getting comfortable when he heard soft cursing. He looked toward the stairs and saw Lev meandering his way through the aisles with a gigantic popcorn tub in his hands.  Yaku rose from his seat to help with the bucket but Lev got to the aisle just fine.  He sat down next to Yaku and smiled.  

Lev held up his hand up. He grabbed his ring finger and wiggled it. "Popcorn." He did the same to the pinky, "movie". He then curled his other fingers under and wiggled the two. 

"You can't have one without the other. So let's eat." Yaku motioned to get his wallet when Lev stopped his action by gently touching his hand. 

"It's on me." 

"No," Yaku pouted. 

"Yes." Lev took his wallet and placed it in Yaku's front pocket. 

"But I feel bad, like, hmm." Yaku leaned back on his seat and crossed his arms.  

His taller companion placed the popcorn in the middle of them and picked a few kernels for himself,"it's okay, I invited you here anyway so it is cool." The kernels lost their lives. 

Yaku exhaled and morphed into the seat. 

 

The movie began. 

It was boring 

Damn Americans......ruining everything and giving unnecessary make out scenes for spORTs mOVies 

Halfway through the movie, Yaku started to smell something. 

Fried 

Fishy 

Rice-like 

He sniffed. He turned his head to and fro to trace the source of the smell. His nose led to the humongous protein conveniently located to his right. 

Target located. 

Lev was aimlessly eating up all the popcorn. Albeit in a somewhat sloppy manner leaving masticated kernels and butter all over that gorgeous jacket. Oh how it made Yaku mad. He just wanted to reach over and clean it off. 

Wait. 

_What?_  

Hold up _. What were these feelings, these emotions that wanted to control his hand and wipe the crumbs off of the behemoth seated beside him?_  

Had Yaku eaten anything strange lately? Had helistlessly left his chopsticks upright in his food? No, he was very mindful of that. He always cut his fingernails during the day. His hair was quite thick and somewhat tousled, but not to the point of testing the strength of his combs. 

What had he done to feel these feelings. 

Anyways, Lev continued to munch, but he put the bucket aside after shoveling a handful in his mouth. He reached inside the  _oh so glorious_  jacket and out came the source of the fishy rice-y smell.  

Oinarisan. 

Dammit, back at it again with smuggling food (no hate Yaku had done It several times before. Theatre food is hella expensive ok). 

He had a Tupperware box. Complete with a pink lid adorned with Hello Kitty sitting in a garden drinking tea with My Melody. 

It was hella cute.  

Lev opened the box and inside were the plump wrapped bundles of fried tofu skin generously stuffed with rice. Lev took a bundle out of the container and gestured to Yaku to take one. He reluctantly did. 

They were good. Really good. The outer tofu was soft, with a bit of a tug at initial bite. The rice inside was soft, and surprisingly warm. As Yaku chewed, a slight sourness spread in his mouth.  _Was it pickled ginger? No, too sweet. Maybe plum? No..._  

"Do you like 'em? " Lev said as he inserted another into his black hole of a mouth. 

"Umm yeah, they're good, just, what is inside. I like what's inside." 

"Pickled cucumbers with a bit of chili flakes. Normally when I make oinarisan its too soft and plain, so I added them to cut through the rice." 

"You made these?" Yaku asked, his eyes widening with awe at what a yummy treat this Amazon spawn could make.  

"Ya! I asked my dad to show me how to make them and I did these with no help!" He balled his fists at his waist in lieu of a Wonder Woman pose.  

"No way." 

"Yes way. I'm trying to cook more things too. Will you taste them for me if I bring them to school?" Lev said as he put the box in his jacket.  

Yaku licked his lips to rid them of the grease.  _What? Is he my wife?_  

_But.......I like food. Hmmm. What does he think of me? What makes him think that I'll be his taste tester?_  

_I like food a lot. I liked this._  

_What is this. What will this lead to.... more food? Ok. I'll accept it._  

"Yeah!" Yaku shook his head eagerly. 

The two watched the rest of the boring movie and cleaned out the popcorn container. They left the theatre and were then struck with some light rain. 

They ran into the mall adjacent to the theatre, shaking the droplets off their clothes as they entered the main lobby. 

Lev was brushing off his jacket when he took a closer look at Yaku. The smaller man was wetter than he was. His thin shirt clung to his arms and his hair was damp. He let out a shallow sneeze. He looked cold. 

"Do-" Lev stopped. If he asked Yaku directly if he wanted his sweater, then he would flat out refuse the gesture. He didn't want that. 

Lev took off his jacket and gently placed it over Yaku's shoulders. It swamped him. 

He was expecting some sort of retaliation from the gesture but Yaku just shrugged into the item. He slipped his arms into the sleeves and fixed the collar.  

"Thanks," Yaku murmured. He smiled shyly, his cheeks dusted with pink. Either from the action or the cold. 

Will Lev ever know? He made Yaku happy, what's what matters. 

"You're all covered in crumbs. Ewww." Yaku reached up (on his tippy toes ha!) and brushed off the remains off of Lev's freaky sweater. Even the heinous print could not deter the food from sticking to the threads. 

"Oh no." Lev covered his face to hide the blush. Not from his sloppy appearance, but from the tiny hands peeking out of his jacket. Lev swallowed.  

"Hm, you're crumb free." He put his feet flat on the ground. “Do you still want to do something? It's kinda early and I don’t wanna get stuck in the rain." 

Lev stared at Yaku. _He actually wants to do more things? Maybe he doesn’t completely dislike me. Yes._  

_"_ Oh!" Yaku reached into his back pocket and pulled out two small pieces of paper. "I have coupons for a Mongolian BBQ place. Do you want to g-”? 

"YYEEESSSSSS. I want food." His voice came out sounding like Ursula from The Little Mermaid. 

"Okay, let's go." The pair made their way through the mall, and into the food court. Yaku led the way, letting Lev trail along through the faint crowds. But Lev remained in the back just so he could stare at the small figure donning, more like swimming in his jacket. Those hands. Those small hands that saved the ball so many times, that maintained the blood flowing and kept the heart beating every game were peeking past the cuffs. The tips, barely. 

They weren't that small, on few occasions Lev had pressed their hands together and was surprised to find Yaku's hands were quite big relative to his size. The hem of hit Yaku just above the backs of his knees, making him look like he was wearing a dress over jeans, reminiscent of early 2000's Ashley Tisdale. He looked so cute. Too cute, Lev just wanted to hug him and twirl him around without getting kicked and make him food and see his cheeks puff up and rosy. Oh no, this was bad. 

Apparently, the restaurant was quite new, so Kuroo must have gotten the coupons at the grand opening or something. Anyways, Yaku had to thank Kuroo again, even if he got too nosy with what happened today. 

It had the classic layout. A buffet table arranged with various types of ingredients. The meats were thinly sliced, curled in cylinders and artfully arranged in trays of chicken, pork and beef. An agreeable selection of vegetables, sauces, and condiments were also on the table. The two boys got bowls and started to fill them up with their choices. They paid (with the coupons, it was 50% off each so nice!) and set their bowls to be cooked. The huge, ah, how do you call it, griddle? No, more like a huge paella pan without the edges. The cook wielded the biggest pair of chopsticks Lev had ever seen. 

"Look," Lev pointed to them, smiling, “they’re almost as long as you." 

Yaku gave him a disappointed look and redirected his attention to the food being cooked in front of them.  

The chef finished both of their orders and placed their food and placed them respectively on plates. The two sat down and began to eat. 

Lev picked at his food, watching Yaku eat. He ate like a chipmunk, stuffing his cheeks with extra food, then slowly eating it, and then refilling his cheeks and starting the process all over again. It was cute. He was also a neat eater. Keeping a napkin nearby, he was constantly wiping his lips for stray sauce and food bits. Great manners too, chewing with his mouth closed and never taking too big of a bite. He had a lot of vegetables on his plate, mostly string beans and spinach and mushrooms with a few sliced bell peppers and baby corn. It looked delicious, and healthy. 

Lev began to eat and the two ate in relative silence, each person engrossed in devouring their food. Yes, they ate a bit earlier, but please excuse them, they are growing children and need their nutrition. Let them eat cake. 

He finished first, and let out a burp. A loud one. Yaku laughed. Lev smiled. 

Yaku ate the last baby corn and went to throw away his plate. "Are you ready to go? Lev got up from the table. "Yeah, I'm ready." Yaku laid back on his chair and fiddled with the sleeves of his gifted jacket. It really was a nice jacket. Very nice.  

Lev reached for Yaku's hand and they walked out of the restaurant and into the street. It was less crowded now, so nobody was bumping into them. Wind was blowing through the city, but Yaku wasn't cold anymore. He had Lev's jacket and a full stomach too. But he felt a more whole warmness, probably because he was holding Lev's hand. Well kind of being held. No technicalities. 

The train ride was the same, both of them leaning against each other. Lev had his hands in his sweater pockets but shifted so Yaku was in the nook that Lev's arm created. Yaku had his cheek pressed against Lev's chest, he felt the soft rhythm and that made him feel even more at ease. He closed his eyes to soak up the warmth. The gentle sway of the car on the raised pathway made the moment feel better. 

"Yaku-san, how do you feel?" Lev placed his chin on top of Yaku's head.  

"I feel..." Yaku didn't really have words to describe how he felt at the moment, but he pressed himself against Lev a bit more, and Lev responded by exhaling deeply. Proof he understood. 

"I feel nice Lev, I feel very nice." Yaku smiled. 

 

They reached his door, and stood there, unsure of what to say or what to do, until Lev broke the silence. 

"How did you like our date, Yaku san?" 

"What do you mean date?" Yaku was getting flustered. "We just went to the movies..." 

"Together". Lev took a half step and shortened the gap between them. Yaku's cheeks were now not only dusted with pink, but a full face blush was creeping down his neck. He furrowed his eyebrows to complete the expression.  

“Um,” Yaku avoided eye contact with the taller boy, instead looking at the welcome mat and his shoes, “thank you for inviting me. I had a nice day today. I feel better after spending some time doing stuff other than school things. Thank you, Lev.” 

Lev bent over and wrapped his arms around Yaku and pulled him into a light hug, resting his head on top of Yaku’s fluffy brown locks.  

Yaku slowly raised his arms up from his sides and gingerly placed them on the other’s hips, squeezing lightly at the curve of skin at his waist. Pulling them together. 

“I’m gonna miss you when you graduate, Yaku-san. Don’t forget me when you leave.” Lev’s voice was filled with melancholy, and Yaku felt a sniffle of exhale on his scalp. 

“No, I won’t forget you, you big noodle.” Yaku muffled into Lev’s chest. “Keep on practicing and maybe one day I’ll come to your games and see you jump the best blocks and smash through the other team. Make me proud.” 

He could feel the taller boy inhale and exhale, and feel the thump of his hear. It felt comforting, warming. It felt like home, a home that he could be happy. 

“But I’m not leaving yet, so I still have time to beat you into shape.” Yaku lifted his head from the others chest, to look him in the face. 

Lev leaned back a bit, looking a bit worried. “What about if I gave you food, will you be less harsh?” 

“Hmm, I guess so.” Yaku grinned, his cheeks pink yet again.  

The two giggled, and then broke out into full out laughter. 

Yaku was glad he accepted the invitation. He felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders and a door had been opened in front of him. 

One in which the other side was pure bliss. 

And good food.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> [the sweater](http://fruitbeetles.tumblr.com/post/134937716829) (right)
> 
> plz tell me @ akaashi-and-the-diamonds.tumblr.com
> 
> thank you for reading!!


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